Tactical Nuclear Weapons and NATO
Edited by Dr. Tom Nichols, Dr. Douglas Stuart, Dr. Jeffrey D. McCausland.
April 2012
540 Pages
Brief Synopsis
NATO has been a “nuclear” alliance since its inception. Nuclear weapons have served the dual purpose of being part of NATO military planning as well as being central to the Alliance’s deterrence strategy. For over 4 decades, NATO allies sought to find conventional and nuclear forces, doctrines, and agreed strategies that linked the defense of Europe to that of the United States. Still, in light of the evolving security situation, the Alliance must now consider the role and future of tactical or non-strategic nuclear weapons (NSNWs). Two clear conclusions emerge from this analysis. First, in the more than 2 decades since the end of the Cold War, the problem itself—that is, the question of what to do with weapons designed in a previous century for the possibility of a World War III against a military alliance that no longer exists—is understudied, both inside and outside of government. Tactical weapons, although less awesome than their strategic siblings, carry significant security and political risks, and they have not received the attention that is commensurate to their importance. Second, it is clear that whatever the future of these arms, the status quo is unacceptable. It is past the time for NATO to make more resolute decisions, find a coherent strategy, and formulate more definite plans about its nuclear status. Consequently, decisions about the role of nuclear weapons within the Alliance and the associated supporting analysis are fundamental to the future identity of NATO. At the Lisbon Summit in Portugal in November 2010, the Alliance agreed to conduct the Deterrence and Defense Posture Review (DDPR). This effort is designed to answer these difficult questions prior to the upcoming NATO Summit in May 2012. The United States and its closest allies must define future threats and, in doing so, clarify NATO’s identity, purpose, and corresponding force requirements. So far, NATO remains a “nuclear alliance,” but it is increasingly hard to define what that means.
Contents
Preface
Tom Nichols
Tactical Nuclear Weapons and NATO: An Introductory Reminiscence
William F. Burns
PART I. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS
1. The Historical Context
Richard Weitz
2. Tactical Nuclear Weapons in NATO and Beyond: A Historical and Thematic Examination
Paul Schulte
3. U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy and Policymaking: The Asian Experience
Elbridge A. Colby
PART II. RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVES ON TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS
4. Russian Perspectives on Tactical Nuclear Weapons
George E. Hudson
5. Russian Doctrine on Tactical Nuclear Weapons: Contexts, Prisms, and Connections
Jacob W. Kipp
6. Aspects of the Current Russian Perspective on Tactical Nuclear Weapon
Leonid Polyakov
7. Influences on Russian Policy and Possibilities for Reduction in Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons
George E. Hudson and Evgeny Buzhinski
8. Russian Perspectives on Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons
Nikolai Sokov
PART III. EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE
9. Introduction of European Policies and Opinions Relating to Tactical Nuclear Weapons
Douglas Stuart
10. The Role and Place of Tactical Nuclear Weapons—A NATO Perspective
Simon Lunn
11. European and German Perspectives
Götz Neuneck
12. European Perspectives
Paolo Foradori
13. Europe, NATO’s Tactical Nuclear Conundrum, and Public Debate: Be Careful What You Wish For
Nick Childs
PART IV. AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES
14. American Perspectives on Tactical Nuclear Weapons
James A. Blackwell
15. The Role of Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons: An American Perspective
Jeffrey A. Larsen
16. NATO’s Nuclear Debate: The Broader Strategic Context
Leo Michel
17. Role of Nuclear Weapons in NATO’s Deterrence and Defense Posture Review: Prospects for Change
Guy B. Roberts
PART V. ARMS CONTROL AS AN OPTION
18. Tactical Nuclear Weapons and NATO: Arms Control as an Option
James M. Smith
19. Arms Control Options for Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons
Steven Pifer
20. Tactical Nuclear Weapons and NATO: A Conventional Arms Control Perspective
Dorn Crawford
21. Arms Control after START
Malcom Chalmers
22. The Conventional and Nuclear Nexus in Europe
Jeffrey D. McCausland
PART VI. CONCLUSION
23. Summing Up and Issues for the Future
Tom Nichols, Douglas Stuart, and Jeffrey D. McCausland
About the Contributors
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